WWE rolls into Nashville Saturday night for SummerSlam, an epic summertime spectacular headlined by yet another showdown between Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar...
Brock Lesnar Gives WWE SummerSlam Much-Needed Sizzle, But Future Is Cloudy
Jul 23, 2022
Brock Lesnar stepped through the curtain in the closing minutes of Friday's WWE SmackDown like a conquering hero there to save the day. Not just from the arrogant, conceited Theory and his beatdown of Madcap Moss, but also from the uncertainty that surrounded his status for the company's second-biggest premium live event of the year, SummerSlam.
Earlier in the day, F4WOnline.com's Bryan Alvarez reported that, upon the news of Vince McMahon's retirement from WWE, an angry Lesnar departed the arena in Boston. Furthermore, the former WWE and universal champion said something to the tune of "if he's gone, I'm gone" before leaving, forcing rewrites of the entire SmackDown broadcast.
His return at the end of the show is a great sign for July 30's SummerSlam, but the circumstances surrounding his Friday create serious questions about his future with the company and what that means for a company that relies heavily on his box office appeal.
Lesnar's Effect on SummerSlam
Despite a lessening desire to see Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns headline any WWE event at this point, there is no denying that the match is the biggest, most star-studded available to the company at this point and exactly what it needs to help sell one of the most important cards of the year in a sizable NFL stadium in Nashville.
Lesnar is a proven draw and a star with appeal beyond the world of professional wrestling. Fans both casual and die-hard know who he is and what he is all about. He is also massively over, as evidenced by the pop he received in Boston as he made his way to the ring and proceeded to pummel Theory with his own Money in the Bank briefcase.
Had he not returned and ensured the security of the SummerSlam main event, WWE would have been in a real bind to find a replacement suitable for that spot on the card against its top star in Reigns.
Cultaholic reported shortly after Lesnar's departure from TD Garden Friday night that overtures had been made to Goldberg to replace The Beast.
While the name appeal is there based on fans' love of nostalgia and all things Monday Night Wars, we have seen that match in the past. It was not suitable for the show-closing finale of any premium live event, nor is Goldberg in a position at this point in his career to deliver a suitable main event brawl in a Last Man Standing match against someone in his athletic prime like Reigns.
The history between the competitors is what necessitates that particular match type, so only Lesnar would really make sense in that spot.
Could WWE have turned toward its full-time roster and plucked someone like Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, Sheamus, Riddle or AJ Styles for a shot at dethroning The Head of the Table? Sure, but the star power would not have been there, nor would have a casual interest.
For better or worse, Lesnar is the guy the company turns to when it needs to pop a buyrate or drum up interest. The spontaneity of his departure Friday afternoon and business relationship with McMahon, though, creates very real questions about his long-term future in WWE.
And, for that matter, WWE's future, too.
What Does the Future Hold for Lesnar in WWE?
Without McMahon around for Lesnar to do business with, it remains to be seen how long Lesnar will stick around. If The Beast did draw that line in the sand by saying if McMahon is not around, he will not be either, there is a very real reason to believe he will be out the door as soon as his latest contractual obligations are completed.
Even if he does find it easy to work with Stephanie McMahon, Nick Khan and Triple H (or some combination of the three), there is no guarantee that he will not take another walk. There is also no guarantee that those three executives will value Lesnar at the same dollar figure that McMahon did, and that could cause a rift between the two sides.
It certainly helps that Paul Heyman is still present, given his relationship with both sides, but Lesnar is his own man and will make the decisions he thinks best suit him and his interests.
For WWE, a future without Lesnar could be problematic.
Over the last 10 years, it has struggled to create its own new and exciting box office attractions thanks, at least in part, to its overreliance on bringing back part-time stars like Lesnar and Goldberg for big shows.
Without anyone with that sort of appeal ready to step up and consistently fill that role, WWE would find itself in a situation where it would have to focus on quickly and efficiently doing everything in its power to strengthen the talent it has.
The aforementioned Rollins, Riddle, McIntyre, Sheamus and Theory all have been in prominent positions, only to fall victim to the dreaded 50-50 booking that never really allows anyone to get truly over. Bobby Lashley has been presented as a genuine star but has taken a backseat while WWE focuses on those part-time stars.
The company also has a wealth of talented, popular competitors in its women's division that it could easily push to the main event on a more consistent basis while trying to fill a potential hole created by Lesnar's absence.
WWE has an immensely talented roster of performers, all of whom are capable of creating red-hot stories and matches; of becoming bona fide stars that fans will want to tune in and check out. Until the creative forces adjust or completely blow up their methods, though, the promotion will find itself in a real jam should Lesnar ever decide not to walk through that curtain at the final hour, saving the company from chaos and uncertainty.
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WWE Rumors on Sasha Banks, Naomi; Brock Lesnar's Schedule; Gunther Wants John Cena
Jun 29, 2022
SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 09: Sasha Banks attends the Nickelodeon's Kids' Choice Awards 2022 at Barker Hangar on April 09, 2022 in Santa Monica, California. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Nickelodeon)
Bleacher Report catches you up on the latest news from the WWE Universe.
Banks, Naomi Reportedly Still on WWE Roster
Despite rumors of Sasha Banks' release from WWE, she and tag team partner Naomi are reportedly still considered to be with the company.
According to PWInsider's Mike Johnson, Banks and Naomi are still listed on WWE's internal roster, which wouldn't typically be the case for a Superstar who has been released.
WrestlingInc's Raj Giri reported recently that WWE released Banks, but WWE has not announced the move publicly, and it hasn't confirmed such a decision to any news outlets or reporters.
Giri doubled down on Tuesday, reporting that Banks was released on June 10. He added that the reason for WWE's silence may be that the company is trying to "smooth things over" behind the scenes and bring Sasha back into the fold.
Neither Banks nor Naomi have appeared on WWE programming since they walked out during the May 16 episode of Raw.
Banks and Naomi had been scheduled to compete in a six-pack challenge with the winner going on to face Bianca Belair for the Raw Women's Championship, but it was changed to a singles match between Becky Lynch and Asuka instead.
During that episode of Raw, WWE released a statement giving its side of what happened and condemning the actions of Banks and Naomi:
Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out on tonight’s Raw after Banks had issues with “creative ideas pitched,” per @PWInsidercom
On the ensuing episode of SmackDown, WWE announced that Banks and Naomi had been suspended indefinitely and stripped them of the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
WWE hasn't mentioned Banks or Naomi on TV in quite some time, and neither Banks nor Naomi have spoken on the situation publicly.
The women's tag team division has essentially been nonexistent during their absence, and WWE has been without two of its top female Superstars.
Both Banks and Naomi are former women's champions individually, and it can be argued that there is no bigger female star in all of wrestling than Sasha.
The Boss has delivered time and time again in the ring, main evented Night 1 of WrestleMania against Bianca Belair last year and is involved with the Star Wars franchise after appearing in The Mandalorian.
Losing one or both of Banks and Naomi would be a major blow to WWE, which is why it is understandable why the company is seemingly trying to keep them in the fold.
Update on Lesnar's Upcoming TV Schedule
Brock Lesnar is set to have a busy schedule ahead of his undisputed WWE Universal Championship match against Roman Reigns at SummerSlam next month.
According to Michael Perry of Ringside News, Lesnar is being advertised to appear on the July 11 episode of Raw in San Antonio.
Perry added that The Beast Incarnate is being advertised for the July 22 SmackDown in Boston and July 29 SmackDown in Atlanta as well.
The SmackDown in Atlanta is the go-home episode prior to SummerSlam, which will emanate from Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 30.
Lesnar made his long-awaited WWE return on SmackDown a couple of weeks ago by confronting Reigns after a successful title defense against Riddle. Lesnar pretended to shake Reigns' hand before hitting him with an F-5.
Before that, Lesnar hadn't been seen since WrestleMania 38 when he dropped the WWE Championship to Reigns in a winner-take-all unification match for both the WWE and universal titles in the main event.
After Lesnar attacked The Tribal Chief on SmackDown, the rematch was made official for SummerSlam with a Last Man Standing stipulation.
Lesnar is a part-time Superstar who doesn't appear regularly on television, but the WWE Universe will see plenty of him in the coming weeks.
Gunther Wants Match vs. Cena
Count intercontinental champion Gunther among those with a dream match against John Cena on their mind.
In response to a tweet by the WWE on Fox account suggesting Cena should go after the Intercontinental Championship, Gunther tweeted the following on Tuesday:
The IC title is one of the few major titles Cena has never held, so it isn't outside the realm of possibility that it could be in the 16-time world champion's sights.
After dominating in NXT UK and NXT, Gunther officially made the move to the main roster a couple of months ago, and he has been an unstoppable force on SmackDown.
In almost no time, Gunther defeated Ricochet to become the new intercontinental champion, and he has already retained the title against Ricochet in a rematch.
The Ring General seems poised for a long and destructive title reign, and Cena may be one of the few Superstars capable of stopping him
After nearly a year away from WWE, Cena returned on Monday's episode of Raw to celebrate 20 years with the company.
WWE hasn't announced when he will return next or if he is going to wrestle in the near future, but Gunther stands out as one of the best possible opponents for him.
Given how much United States champion Theory has been pushing for a match against Cena and the fact that he confronted Cena backstage on Raw, however, a Cena vs. Gunther match may not be in the cards any time soon.
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Injuries, Creative Bankruptcy Force WWE to Turn to John Cena, Brock Lesnar
Jun 22, 2022
WWE again finds itself in an unenviable position, with its creative plans struck down by injuries to Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes, and creative bankruptcy preventing it from having replacements ready to step in and headline one of the most significant pay-per-views of the year.
Its solution? The same as it always is: Recruit two Superstars from yesteryear to bring star power to its shows.
Brock Lesnar returned on Friday's SmackDown and will challenge Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship in the main event of SummerSlam on July 30 in a Last Man Standing match.
And John Cena will celebrate his two decades with the company Monday night on Raw and is expected to jump-start a program that will culminate at the same event at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee.
None of this should be surprising to fans familiar with the WWE product over the last decade, but it does beg the question: What will this most recent run have in store for the returning icons and the fans who tune into the company's television programming?
But first, how we got here.
A Reliance on Part-Time Stars
By 2011, it became clear WWE was no longer the star-making machine it had been in previous years.
The company looked to The Rock, who returned from a seven-year hiatus for a two-year program with Cena. The Undertaker and Triple H popped up on TV to hype major PPV matches, and even Kevin Nash made his presence felt in a desperate attempt by the company to bolster its young roster with marquee names.
A year later, Lesnar would return to the company, the latest in a trend of WWE officials increasingly relying on part-time performers to help sell major PPVs rather than taking the time and effort to create new stars to run atop the card for the future.
The retirements of Undertaker and Triple H, and a return to Hollywood for The Rock, ensured that subsided somewhat, but Lesnar continued to pop up from time to time, typically as WWE prepared for WrestleMania or SummerSlam.
Then Cena, once a critic of The Rock for failing to appear consistently to show his love for WWE and its fans, found success of his own in movies and television and took on a part-time schedule that has seen him pop up when needed for a big-time bout.
On one hand, it makes sense that an entertainment company would recruit its most recognizable stars to help sell a major production. If Universal or Fox Studios wanted to sell a passion project by Hollywood's biggest director, they would turn to a Tom Hanks, Sandra Bullock, Julia Roberts or George Clooney to help do that, even if they had not been regularly acting to that point.
The same goes for WWE, which recognizes the need for an attraction and calls in the heavy hitters for its most prestigious extravaganzas.
On the other hand, it does prevent the company from building its current crop of stars to slide into that role in the future. With only Reigns really standing head and shoulders above everyone else as the undisputed star of the promotion, where would WWE go if he retired or was injured?
There is no other Rock, Cena or Lesnar walking in the door anytime soon, and nor is there anyone on the roster right now who could popup a decade from now for a one-off match and create the impact these men do when they return to WWE programming.
Thus, it becomes paramount WWE utilizes the names it has on its roster in a way that helps them achieve that level of stardom so that it has a pool to select from when it needs major attractions years down the line.
While Lesnar vs. Reigns hardly helps with that situation, Cena could be poised to confirm one of the brightest young stars as the future of the company with his upcoming return.
What to Expect from Cena, Lesnar
On June 6, Cena posted an image to his Instagram account of a black boot smothering the United States Championship.
As is typically the case on that particular account, it appeared to be a subliminal message over what fans can expect from the all-timer when he returns to WWE programming.
Sure, the 45-year-old is scheduled to celebrate two decades with WWE on Monday's Raw, but would it surprise anyone if a certain egotistical young U.S. champion interrupted the legendary competitor and jump-started a feud that could culminate at SummerSlam?
Theory has been one of the breakout stars of WWE over the last few months and recently took to his own Twitter account, in connection with a recently released photoshoot, to seemingly taunt Cena.
Pairing the 24-year-old against the biggest star WWE has produced since the Attitude Era is a brilliant move, should that be the direction the company chooses.
It not only gives Theory the rub of sharing the ring with an internationally recognized professional wrestler but also a bonafide Hollywood star.
Such a pairing announces to the world that WWE believes in the younger man as the next face of the company and you should, too.
It is the type of reaffirmation that stars across the roster could have used over the years to better strengthen their credibility and prepare them to jump into a program in case of emergency, such as the one WWE currently faces with the absences of Rhodes and Orton.
Most importantly, a match with Cena provides Theory with one of those early highlight-reel moments he can pair with his WrestleMania 38 match against Pat McAfee and show as proof of his ability to perform up to the moment, against high-profile opponents.
That, as much as booking, is important to a Superstar's credibility and the fans' perception of them as a big deal.
Lesnar and Reigns will have another heavy-hitting main event that leads to questions about WWE's reliance on that particular contest to draw fans when the audience has already been overexposed to it.
Thankfully, Cena vs. Theory is a match that may not grab as many headlines, but it could be the catalyst for the latter's rise and the start of a Hall of Fame career.
All thanks to a star such as Cena, who recognizes the importance of veterans in helping to establish a young performer—just as Kurt Angle and Chris Jericho did for him.
WWE Rumors: When Vince McMahon Decided on Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns at SummerSlam
Jun 18, 2022
Brock Lesnar holds up the championship belt after winning the 2022 World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) Elimination Chamber at the Jeddah Super Dome in Saudi Arabia's Red Sea coastal city of Jeddah on February 19, 2022. (Photo by Amer HILABI / AFP) (Photo by AMER HILABI/AFP via Getty Images)
WWE's decision to bring back Brock Lesnar as Roman Reigns' opponent at SummerSlam was reportedly made three weeks ago.
According to Fightful Select (h/t H Jenkins of Ringside News), a Lesnar vs. Reigns rematch had been in the works for quite some time, and people backstage began talking about Lesnar potentially appearing on Friday night's episode of SmackDown about three hours before the show started.
After Reigns beat Riddle in the main event of the show to retain the undisputed WWE Universal Championship, Lesnar confronted him and hit him with an F-5 to end the episode.
Shortly after SmackDown went off the air, WWE announced that Lesnar vs. Reigns was set for SummerSlam on July 30 in a Last Man Standing match.
The Beast Incarnate had not appeared on WWE programming since dropping the WWE Championship to Reigns in the main event of WrestleMania 38 in April.
Lesnar's return and the subsequent announcement of the SummerSlam match came as something of a surprise because of reports of what WWE previously had planned for Reigns at the July 30 event.
Last month, Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter (h/t WrestlingInc's Sai Mohan) reported that WWE was planning to have Reigns defend against Randy Orton at SummerSlam.
That match would have made plenty of sense because Reigns and The Usos attacked Orton last month following a tag team title unification match that saw The Usos beat RK-Bro.
Fightful Select (h/t WrestlingInc's Dominic DeAngelo) reported earlier this week, however, that there was "fear" within WWE that Orton would require surgery for a back injury, possibly keeping him out for the rest of 2022.
Riddle has mentioned in promos since the loss to The Usos that Orton was dealing with a back injury, but the ailment may be far more legitimate than fans initially thought.
There had also been some speculation regarding WWE bringing Lesnar back for Friday's SmackDown as a means of overshadowing the controversy surrounding WWE chairman Vince McMahon.
McMahon temporarily stepped down as both chairman and CEO this week amid an investigation by WWE's board of directors into allegations that he paid a woman $3 million to not speak publicly about an affair they had while she worked for WWE.
While McMahon's daughter, Stephanie McMahon, is serving as interim chairwoman and CEO, McMahon has retained his role as head of creative, and he cut a short promo at the start of SmackDown.
Given that the allegations against McMahon were only made public this week, it appears as though Lesnar's return was in place far before that given the timeline provided by Fightful.
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